How to help your cat live longer

Dear Dr. John,

My cat is only seven years old, but I just read about the oldest living dog in the world. Apparently, this dog is 30 and lives in Portugal. I thought that cats can typically live longer than dogs and wonder how old my cat might live to be. What are the most common things that old cats die from and what I might do to keep my cat alive as long as possible? I presume that longevity is related to a lot of things and wonder what allows some to live longer than others. D.M.

Dear D.M.,

I, too, read with interest about the 30-year-old dog in Portugal. The dog is of a breed not typically seen here in the US, a Rafeiro do Alentejo, which is a farming dog used to guard livestock. One never knows what allows a dog, cat, or human to live for long periods of time, but most would acknowledge that it is a combination of genetics, diet, exercise, lifestyle, and preventative care.

By comparison, the oldest person to ever live was 122 and the oldest cat was 38! The oldest cat alive today according to the web is 27, and cats typically do live longer than dogs. The oldest cat I have ever seen was 23 and the oldest dog 19. Smaller dogs live longer than large breed dogs and mixed breeds in both dogs and cats typically live longer due to heterogeneity. Even though the dog in Portugal is male, females typically live longer than males in all species as was the case of the oldest cat and human.

As for the most common causes of death in old cats, I would say that they are heart disease, renal failure, and cancers with lymphoma being the most common, followed by various hormonally based problems like hyperthyroidism and diabetes. In order to promote better health and longevity, maintain your cat at a healthy weight, be mindful of good diet, keep your cat active at home, reduce possible stress in the cat’s life, and have the cat seen by your veterinarian at least once a year and possibly every six months when the cat is a geriatric patient. Good luck!